I Love @Airtame in the Makerspace

I was able to setup my new Airtame in the Makerspace today and play around. I can't wait to get students in the space because Airtame is perfect for the design room of our Makerspace.

Part of the renovation of our expanded Makerspace was to have a specific space for design. I wanted to get to dry erase tables and dry erase boards all over the room so students can sketch out ideas and collaborate as needed. I have had a Smartboard 6065 floating around the Middle School filling many different roles. It is an awesome devices that I think would have a perfect role in the design room. The only issue I had is the fact that students would need to constant plug in and unplug their devices to use it. That type of wear and tear can cause issues for any device. I wanted a streaming device that would be easy to manage and allow for students and teachers to quickly connect, share, and disconnect. That is where Airtame comes in.

We are a BYOD school, so it is important to have something that is device neutral. With Chromebooks, iPads, iOS, Windows, and Android coming into the space, I needed something quick and easy for any student to use. There are three steps to follow out of the box to set it up and you are ready to go. I chose a screen shot of our school website as the background, but you could also choose any website you want or any photo you want to be the background of the main page. It is this page that students and teachers will see on the board when they turn it on. They can just go to the app, connect, enter the pin that appears on the screen, and share what they have.

Another aspect of Airtame this is really cool is the web based backend. By creating an account, you can manage your Airtame from anywhere you have access to the internet. If you were to deploy multiple Airtames in your school, you could manage allow of them from the web browser. 

If you want to use your Airtame to run the monitor in the lobby of your school or in the hallway, you can connect with Google Slides and have a presentation just rotate through the slides. Again, this can all be done wirelessly. The administrator can log in and make any changes they want from the website. No freemium hidden costs or upcharges either. Once you buy the Airtame, you have access to all of the features to get your screen doing exactly what you want it to do. 

I'm already looking to purchase a few more for the Middle School and place them in high trafficked areas so I can help manage the different monitors and make sure the right information is being shared on the right monitor. 

As for the Design Space of the Knight's Forge Makerspace, I am excited to see students and teachers quickly log in and share their designs and ideas with their group as they begin the maker process. 

If you are looking for a solid long-term solution to your screen issues, you have to look into Airtame. It is exactly what I needed in my space and I think it will be the perfect solution for your space as well.